Lt. Gov. Bill Halter’s supporters have a message for Arkansas Democrats Sen. Blanche Lincoln is attempting to woo with a visit from Bubba this afternoon: Halter is a lot like Bill Clinton! Progressive Change Campaign Committee is paying for online ads today linked to the Lincoln-Clinton rally in Little Rock.
You can see the ad, obtained by TPMDC, to the left. A PCCC official said the goal is to highlight Arkansas voters “who once found Bill Clinton an inspiring rising star and now feel that way about Bill Halter.” The online ad campaign links to a page featuring quotes from Arkansans, like Greg Starting who said Clinton “gave us hope for change then” and Halter “gives us hope for much needed change now.” Or a Fayetteville resident who says Halter is “this generation’s Bill Clinton.”
The TPM Poll Average of this race has Halter leading 47.3 to 44.7 percent, with him jumping into the lead for the first time yesterday. The PCCC ad campaign is another example of how both sides are playing for keeps as the June 8 Democratic primary runoff approaches. The positive spin is a different strategy from the AFL-CIO, also backing Halter, which is attempting to target Clinton for NAFTA in advance of the visit. The union accuses Lincoln and Clinton of sending Arkansas jobs to Mexico and Canada, calling them the “Dynamic NAFTA Duo.” We asked Clinton aides for a comment and will update if we hear back.
